Missouri Travel Council, Missouri's largest travel industry association, is encouraging hospitality industry employers to utilize its Web site to list job openings free of charge. The job posting page is normally available exclusively to Missouri Travel Council members, however with the arrival of hurricane evacuees in the Show-Me State, association leaders have waived the membership requirement in order to make the service available to all travel industry employers.

"As hurricane evacuees deal with the problems of fulfilling immediate needs such as temporary housing, many are going to eventually begin considering their futures," said MTC President Gary Figgins. "The outpouring of assistance from across the country has been phenomenal, and communities across Missouri have begun providing temporary housing for many of the evacuees. No doubt many of these people will decide not to return to the Gulf Coast after the destruction of their homes and places of employment. Many will decide to start life anew, and Missouri Travel Council wants to help them do that."

Those cities most affected by the hurricane relied heavily upon the tourism industry. Even as reconstruction begins, the rebirth of the tourism industry in those states will be a slow process, and many of the lost hospitality jobs will not be available for an extended period of time. Any hospitality and travel industry employer from Missouri can post available job opportunities by visiting http://www.missouritravel.com and clicking on "Post A Job Listing" at the bottom of the menu bar. Those seeking employment can view all job listings by clicking on the "View Job Listings" link at the bottom of the menu bar.